Train: Brain training for runners-week 6

Sometimes, especially on summer holidays, you just have to take it easy and soak life's blessings and its energy in. The main draw of this week's training: being able to continue my running in the Northwoods of Wisconsin -- deer flies be damned -- and jumping into Pine Lake for sweet relief afterward.

Even with all the chillin', training was solid and strong. Yay!

Week six of 20-week training program:

July 4 (Day 36 :: stretch + strengthen)
Stretch/Breathe 00:32 - Lakeside morning yoga/qigong. I don't do 'hot'/hatha yoga usually, but this session would easily qualify since the sun was blazing down strong + the humidity is up already at 7:30.

AND

Pine Lake (plochman's island) 730 yd 00:24 57:51 pace - Invigorating morning swim to the island + back, waving hello to our favorite neighbors a few cottages down who were out on their dock enjoying the day already, too. Have we been blessed w/the ultimate 4th of July weekend weather or what?! Just popped in for a light lunch + heading back out to soak it all in. Life is good...

July 5 (Day 37 :: 5 mi run + drills)
Pine Lake (bible camp) 5 mi 00:55 11:02 pace - Midday run (temp 78F, 63% hum, 8mph winds). Tuesdays are base bldg days on my plan. Target pace for these runs is 11:50-10:50, something I was only too happy for since the humidity made it plenty hot.

Purposefully going out on these slower runs when its hot so that I can continue to get acclimated to the heat we can expect the next couple of months. Tomorrow, I have hill work slated + plan to get out to do that earlier in the morning when it's cooler.

I'm getting used to this distance again; it's feeling like a short run.

Sun was out + strong while I was on the highway (the middle three miles), but clouds started rolling in midway. Cover of the forest helped to keep first + last miles comfortable. Boy, was I dripping wet when I got done, though! Jumped in the lake for the quickest of dips (about 5 mins; won't even record it), just to cool my body down.
Splits: 11:12, 10:38, 10:48, 11:01, 11:32. Elev gain: 215 ft.

Every outing seems to have a theme. If I had to pick one for today's it would be '4th of July weekend is great for humans...not so much for animals.' Littering the highway (which is at its busiest all yearlong on this holiday wnkd) were a small frog, a toad, a small turtle, a squirrel and a raccoon. Sad. ;-(

On a better note, my mini Nikon's working again + so I took it for a spin w/me on this run. Stopped a couple of places to snap some flowers; but, the rest of the time just ran + aimed + shot at the world moving by me. Yes, this means I'm working on another collage. ;-)

AND

Drills 0.21 mi 00:03:12 14:55 pace - 2X20secs Stiff-Legged Run + 2X20sec Running No Arms

July 6 (Day 38 :: 3 mi run)
Pine Lake Ln (hills) 3 mi 00:38 12:38 pace - Morning hill work (temp 80F, 50% hum, 3mph winds). Slept in longer than I wanted; had breakfast + then played a hand of Spite + Malice w/my hubby. Not only did I get beaten, but had to run in the heat again. 5 mins dynamic stretching before heading out. Plan called for 1st + last mile at recovery pace (13:11-11:51), and then 5X90sec 8:27 hill repeats w/2min active recovery following each. I was a hot mess at the end of this run, but got it done. Splits: 12:55, 13:06, 11:56. Elev gain: 218 ft.

AND

Pine Lake (dip) 350 yd 00:15:00 75:25 pace - Short post-run dip in the lake perked me right up!

July 7 (Day 39 :: cross + resistance)
Pine Lake Ln (mailbox) 2.28 mi 00:42 18:25 pace - Busy most of the day cooking + getting things ready to have a few friends over for dinner tonight. Short walk + now a shower awaits.

AND

Resistance 00:12:00 - 3 X 15 reps ea. Single Leg Squats, Oblique Bridges, Lying Draw-Ins w/Hip Flexion, Quadrupeds + 2 X 15 Squat Jumps.

July 8 (Day 40 :: stretch + 4.5 mi fartleks)
Stretch/Breathe 00:15:00 - Outdoor mini morning yoga/qigong set. I was up earlier than usual (5am) today + watched the sun + mist from the lake rise together -- magnificent. Spent more time taking pics than yogaing; but, really enjoyed my last waterside stretch (for now).

Pine Lake Ln (ferndale rd) 4.51 mi 00:45 10:00 pace - Morning fartlek run (temp 74F, 70%hum, 1mph winds). 1st mile warm-up at base pace; 4 X 90sec intervals @ my 3K pace (8:52) sprinkled in during miles 2+3; cool-down last mile; and really took it easy the last 1/2 mile, walking up a few hills. My shadow at one point showed a cloud of ~40 or more deer/horse flies trailing me even though I'd sprayed down good before starting. Gotta take the good with the bad when it comes to Mother Nature, I suppose. ;-) Drenched when I got back + fortunately had the lake one last day to cool off in! Splits: 10:19, 8:59, 9:19, 10:09, 12:29. Elev gain: 172 ft.

AND

Pine Lake (plochman's island) 730 yd 00:23 54:17 pace - One last freestyle swim (mixed crawl, breast, back + side strokes) was even more fun because my husband joined me. We sunned off on the dock afterward, listened to some good summertime music, and even did a little fishing. FINALLY caught my bass today! (We went out a couple of days ago + I would up w/nothin'). Packing + roadtripping are all that's left.

July 9 (Day 41 :: cross)
Gardening 00:30 - Short stint watering neglected plants, weeding, filling bird feeders + baths. Ate my first cucumber from the garden yesterday...yay! Phlox are blooming, which is a real welcome home treat for me.

July 10 (Day 42 :: 7 mi run)
RVC (quintuple loop) 7.01 mi 01:11 10:04 pace - Sunset to moonlight LSD run (temp 80F, 74% hum, 8mph winds). Just took this one nice + easy. Still hot out there, but nothing like it was earlier for all of you racing today. Air wasn't cool or refreshing; but, a light breeze made sure it wasn't stagnant, either. And as far as bugs go: enjoyed running w/the fireflies tonight more than the deer + horseflies that tagged along w/me on my last run! ;-) Concentrated on form, esp this week's proprioceptive cue, Pounding the Ground. Very good feeling to get a nice long run in! Splits: 10:53, 9:48, 9:26, 9:51, 10:10, 10:12, 10:12.


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